Continuous Improvement Specialist - Lancaster Colony Corporation : Job Details

About UsT. Marzetti Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancaster Colony Corporation (NASDAQ: LANC), is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice markets. Our retail brands include Marzetti, New York Bakery and Sister Schubert's, in addition to exclusive license agreements for Olive Garden dressings, Chick-fil-A sauces and Buffalo Wild Wings sauces. Our foodservice business supplies many of the top restaurant chains in the United States.OverviewResponsible for promoting and driving continuous improvement activities throughout the New York Frozen Foods Plant. Responsible for evaluating existing processes and configuring manufacturing systems to reduce cost, improve productivity and develop best practices within the production process.ResponsibilitiesEssential Functions/Primary Responsibilities:* Manage and coordinate projects and process improvements.* Practices integrity, respect, accountability, continuous improvement and positive interactions with all Team Members, customers & vendors.* Working with production leaders to ensure all production objectives and activities are accomplished in a safe, timely, and cost-effective manner.* Facilitate root cause analysis processes to determine metrics, troubleshoot manufacturing/ business and distribution issues, material flow, project plans, production capacity, facility design and create process documentation.* Apply continuous improvement methods such as Six Sigma (DMAIC methodology), Lean (Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, etc.), to improve execution.* Develop best practices, routines and innovative solutions to improve production rates and quality of output.* Maintain reliable and safe manufacturing systems while improving production rates, efficiencies, yields, costs and changeovers.* Maintains close working relationship with all departments and responds to deviations from standards immediately.* Evaluate and improve processes in manufacturing systems with the use statistical controls.* Improve process capability while maintaining and improving safety and quality standards.* Develop and implement systems that optimize all phases of production process.* Assist with incident investigations and help develop corrective actions.* Maintains positive employee, corporate and community relations along with appropriate interface with customer service, vendors & contractors.* Partners with the Plant Manager to determine strategic needs and plans in respect to operations in general for current and future plant goals.* Performs other tasks and responsibilities as assigned by Management.* Ensures compliance to all federal, state and local laws and company policies.* Effectively communicates verbally and written with Team Members, Management, Customers & Vendors and* ensures compliance to this.* Works respectfully with all team members to ensure the Safety, Quality, production and support of our products and goals on a daily basis.* Ensure proper staff coordination and communication.* Actively participates as a member of the factory's Sr. Leadership team, special projects or tasks when necessary.* Provides training, direction, development, evaluation, coaching and leadership and mentoring to subordinates.* Use modern management techniques to promote team building and to allow decision making at the lowestlevel.* Actively participates in department/shift/team meetings and facilitates improvement/resolutions & follow-up to employees.Supervisory Responsibilities:* Coaching of supervisor and dept. employees.QualificationsQualifications:* Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related discipline.* 1-3 years of relevant experience.* Lean manufacturing, six sigma green belt certified preferred* Lean/Continuous Improvement experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.* Strong understanding of Lean/Continuous Improvement concepts, principles, and practices required.* Must have excellent planning, negotiation and organizational skills and the ability to independently manage workload.* Analytical thinker with interpersonal skills.* Positive leadership and self-motivation skills.* Strong organizational abilities, capable of multi-tasking.* Working knowledge of manufacturing equipment, mechanical processes and proven troubleshooting skills.* Must be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office programs and have excellent verbal and written communication skillsWorking Conditions/EnvironmentWorks in an office and manufacturing environment where the employee is regularly required to speak, read and comprehend, sit, stand, walk, reach, lift, grasp, climb and bend while working in a fast-paced production environment. Must be able to push/pull or lift up to 50 pounds short distances. May be required to work outside of regular business hours and/or weekends, as needed. The employee is regularly exposed to heat, fumes, odors, dust, oil, slippery floors, moving parts/equipment and non-toxic industrial waste and scrap. The noise level in the plant is loud.SLIP-RESISTANT/Steel-toed SHOES, Earplugs, safety glasses, hairnets, beard nets (if facial hair exists) are required to be worn/used in accordance with company GMP and Safety standards. Condition of these items must be inspected by employee daily and be replaced when no longer providing the optimal protection of the employee.